1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for supplying, for example, images from a camera server at a remote place to a viewer via a network, and more particularly to techniques for providing xe2x80x9ctrialxe2x80x9d services of video services and camera control services which are provided from the camera server to general users on a pay-per-view basis.
2. Related Background Art
With recent developments on computers, the following techniques and systems are provided.
[Video Transmission System with Camera Control Function]
For example, a video transmission system with a camera control function is known which can transmit live moving images taken with a camera having a tripod head capable of panning, titling, zooming and the like to a client machine (terminal equipment such as a personal computer of a user) via a network. With this system, moving images can be supplied to a client machine (this service is hereinafter called xe2x80x9cvideo servicesxe2x80x9d) and the quality, size and the like of each image can be dynamically changed (this service is hereinafter called xe2x80x9ccamera control servicesxe2x80x9d), on a pay-per-view) basis, and trial services thereof are also possible.
[Charging techniques]
In a system for providing services to general users, such as the video transmission system with the camera control function, a charging system (also called xe2x80x9ccharging infrastructurexe2x80x9d where appropriate) for charging the services provided to general users via a network is prevailing.
For example, as such a charging system, xe2x80x9cBitCashxe2x80x9d of BitCash Corp, xe2x80x9cWebMoneyxe2x80x9d of ASG (ASCII Something Good) Corp, xe2x80x9cmillicentxe2x80x9d of DEC Corp and the like are known.
[Trial Use of Software]
There is software (trial software such as product software and shareware) which is distributed to general users via various media such as a CD-ROM as a supplement to a magazine and the Internet and allows the users to try it with no charge. Some of such trial software limits the trial period, for example, allows to try it for one week. For example, the compression/expansion software xe2x80x9cWinZipxe2x80x9d limits the trial period. The monitor image capturing software xe2x80x9cHyperSnap-DXxe2x80x9d allows to try it with a limited function.
There is chargeable trial software which allows to be installed and tried with a partially limited function thereof. If a user wishes to install and try in a perfect state or wishes to receive perfect services, the user purchases key information (ticket information) via a charging infrastructure to install the software without the function limitation.
[Packet Filtering]
A router interconnecting networks and firewall software for preventing external invasion are provided with a function of filtering each packet on the network in accordance with its attribute such as a header of IP (Internet Protocol) and a header of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).
For example, xe2x80x9cRT801xe2x80x9d of YAMAHA Co. is provided with such a function as a router, and xe2x80x9cFirewall-1xe2x80x9d of CheckPoint Corp is provided with such a function as firewall software.
However, for example, in a video transmission system with a camera control function, if trials of the camera control services and video services are permitted to general users and such services are provided in a perfect state to general users by issuing tickets by using complicated ciphering means and apparatus, then the system configuration becomes complicated because of ticket issuance and management, and a large amount of developments and running cost are required.
The invention has been made in order to solve the above problems and aims to provide an apparatus controlling system, a terminal equipment, a network system, a network control method, and a computer readable storage medium storing program steps for realizing the method, capable of realizing services such as video services and camera control services by using a network, with a simple structure and high efficiency.
In order to achieve the above object of the invention, an embodiment provides an apparatus controlling system for providing a service requested client with services via a network, the services including at least for data acquired by the apparatus having a predetermined function of controlling an operation of the apparatus via the network or for an operation of the apparatus, the apparatus control system comprising: connection identifier issuing means for issuing a connection identifier for identifying the client, to the client; service limiting means for limiting the services to be provided to the client, in accordance with the connection identifier issued by the connection identifier issuing means; and service quality changing means for changing a limitation of the services limited by the service limiting means, in accordance with the connection identifier, if the connection identifier issued to the client by the connection identifier issuing means is transmitted via a predetermined transmission side.
Another embodiment provides a terminal equipment at a client connected to a same network as a server for providing services to the terminal equipment via the network when the terminal equipment issues a service request to the server, the services including at least for data acquired by an apparatus having a predetermined function of controlling an operation of the apparatus via the network or for an operation of the apparatus, the terminal equipment comprising: connection identifier receiving means for receiving a connection identifier for identifying the terminal equipment from the server; service receiving means for receiving services limited in accordance with the connection identifier received by the connection identifier receiving means; and connection identifier transmitting means for transmitting the connection identifier received by the connection identifier receiving means to the server via a predetermined transmission side on the same network, wherein the service receiving means receives the services limited in accordance with the connection identifier transmitted by the connection identifier transmitting means via the predetermined transmission side, by changing the limitation of the services.
Another embodiment provides a network system including at least a terminal equipment at a server having a predetermined function capable of controlling an operation thereof via a network and a terminal equipment at a client connected to the same network as the server, the server responsive to a request from the client providing the client with services including at least for data or for the operation acquired by the predetermined function, wherein:
the terminal equipment at the server has functions of the apparatus controlling system recited in the first embodiment; and the terminal equipment at the client has functions of the terminal equipment recited in the second embodiment.
Another embodiment provides a control method for a network system including at least a terminal equipment at a server having a predetermined function capable of controlling an operation thereof via a network and a terminal equipment at a client connected to the same network as the server, the server responsive to a request from the client providing the client with services including at least for data or for the operation acquired by the predetermined function, the control method comprising: a connection identifier issuing step in which the server issues a connection identifier for identifying the client, to the client; a service limiting step in which the server limits the services to be provided to the client, in accordance with the connection identifier issued by the connection identifier issuing step; a connection identifier transmitting step in which the client transmits the connection identifier issued by the connection identifier issuing step, to the server via a predetermined transmission side on the same network; and a service quality changing step in which the server changes a limitation of the services limited by the service limiting step, in accordance with the connection identifier transmitted by the connection identifier transmitting step.
The invention will be described more specifically. A camera server having a camera capable of the control of zooming, panning, tilting and the like is provided with means for issuing a connection identifier for identifying a client which requested services via a network, means for providing only limited services to the client, and means for receiving a connection identifier from the client, and the client is provided with means for receiving a connection identifier issued from the camera server.
As the client issues a request of video services and camera control services to the camera server, the camera server supplies the client with the connection identifier to be allocated to the client. The client is provided with limited services in accordance with the connection identifier.
The connection identifier contains information on client identification and information on service quality (limitation degree which is also called xe2x80x9cservice levelxe2x80x9d where appropriate). For example, the service level is managed at two levels or at multiple levels in accordance with some of the following service limitations or combinations thereof:
limitation is applied to an image quality:
limitation is applied to an image frame rate;
limitation is applied to an access time to image data (video services) and camera control (camera control services;
limitation is applied to a range of the camera control;
another image pattern is synthesized on a provided image;
an original image mosaic-processed is used as the image pattern;
a telop representative of xe2x80x9cunder trialxe2x80x9d is used as the image pattern;
the synthesizing position and size of the image pattern are set randomly;
the synthesizing position and size of the image patter are changed with time; and
the synthesizing position and size of the image patter are changed with a camera control parameter.
As the services limited as described above are provided to the client, image data corresponding to the limited services is displayed on the viewer of the client. The limited camera control can be performed by the viewer via the network. Namely, in the initial stage immediately after the connection between the client and camera server, a xe2x80x9ctrial connectionxe2x80x9d is enabled so that low quality services are provided to the client.
If the client wishes to receive high quality services, the client pays a predetermined fee to a charging server on the network, and returns the connection identifier received from the camera server to the camera server via the charging server. In this case, in order to improve security, the connection identifier is returned via a second route different from a first route via which the services are provided. For example, the second route may be a serial line of a computer running at the camera server, a telephone line with a transmitter number notice function, or the like.
Upon reception of the connection identifier, the camera server provides the limitation released (or relaxed) high quality services to the connected client which returned the connection identifier via the second route.
The route along which the connection identifier is transmitted to the camera server via the charging server may be the same physical route as the route via which the services are provided. In this case, in order to improve security, the camera server is provided with, for example, packet filtering means for filtering packets in accordance with an attribute of a communication packet. By using this packet filtering means, packets may be filtered by using a transmission side address as a key, or by using the address of the charging server registered in advance.
If the camera server is constituted of a camera control server for controlling the camera and a video server for delivering image data, means for issuing the connection identifier may be provided either to the video server or to the camera control server, or may be provided to both the servers to perform an arbitration operation for retaining the integrity of the connection identifier.